In a near and dystopian future, people connect to the web via ports in their bodies. Remote-workers are an abundant source of cheap, disposable labor and dreams are literally bought and sold. On the U.S./Mexican border, where water is a tightly controlled commodity, one migrant worker leaves his hometown and travels to the city in search of a better life.
‘Sleep Dealer’, the director's debut feature, is a Sundance award-winning sci-fi thriller, packed with strong social and political themes. In Rivera's own words, “Sleep Dealer is my first film. It’s not anything like a Star Wars or a Blade Runner. In many ways it’s a humble film. But it’s also an honest attempt to use science-fiction film to say something new, and something true, about our world today. I hope you enjoy it.”
The Los Angeles Times writes “Adventurous, ambitious and ingeniously futuristic, 'Sleep Dealer' is a welcome surprise. It combines visually arresting science fiction done on a budget with a strong sense of social commentary in a way that few films attempt, let alone achieve.“
AWARDS • Sundance Film Festival, Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award • Sundance Film Festival, Alfred P. Sloan Award • Berlin International Film Festival, Amnesty International Award • Neuchatel International Fantasy Film Festival, Best of Festival • Gotham Awards, Nominee, Breakthrough Director • Independent Spirit Awards, Nominee, Best First Feature • Sundance Film Festival, NHK Award, Best American Screenplay
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